Ramses II and family had pretty good taste in jewelry. I guess they could afford it. Ramses 2 et son fils Khâemouset avaient assez bon goût pour les parures. Ils pouvaient se les payer, c’est sûr.
Images
Grédone
The ancient site of Grédone, thought to have been a military strongpoint of the ancient Gabale peoples, is now the peaceful village of Grèzes. Located between Mende and Marvejols in Lozère region, it overlooks the Jourdane river valley below and shares the skyline with the Truc de Grèzes. In most of the Languedoc, a hill…
Cau Ferrat
Cau Ferrat, the home and workshop of painter, collector and part time archeologist, Santiago Rusiñol, is now a museum. Located in the Spanish seaside town of Sitges on the coast just south of Barcelona, the house was a showcase for Rusiñol’s paintings as well as his collections. The museum, renovated between 2010 and 2014, is…
Down from the Larzac
In former times, villagers took their livestock to higher ground for summer pastures. Significant work went into building and maintaining the winding trails from the lower valleys to high ground. Not much livestock moves on these trails these days, but they are still used by hikers. In this picture : the trail down from the…
Remote villages and mule trains
Thines, a remote village in the southern Ardeche, clings to an oval space on a rocky out crop dominating the valley below. Until the 20th century there was no road access to this village. All commerce and exchange depended on mule trains. The mule trails are still usable for hikers and this is the only…
Bell gables
In Romanesque architecture the bell gable is quite common. In regions of France such as the northern Gard and the southern Ardèche, romanesque churches are common and hence the accompanying bell gable. Some have 4 eyes, some 3, and often there are fewer bells than eyes. Le clocher à peigne est assez courant dans les…
January storm
Ronda Spain : January 2008 : Even in sunny southern Spain, the clouds sometimes fly low. The winter storm and low sun provide some striking contrasts over the nearby landscapes, the city and the Puento Nuevo (bridge). Ronda, Espagne : janvier 2008 : Même au sud de l’Espagne, région reputée pour son climat doux et…
Parkways
Ontario, Canada, is famous for it’s parkways. Along the Saint Lawrence river banks around the town of Gananoque there is a stretch of the former main Montreal-Toronto highway, now relegated to a tourist route (the main highway now follows another route). The 40 km stretch of broad scenic parkway, once a four-lane highway, and now…
Glimpses of the Alhambra
Granada, Spain : The Alhambra, object of songs, poems, wars and battles; now a (relatively) peaceful museum. But it all depends on the number of visitors and how long you have to wait to get in… In January, with luck and clear weather, from the terraces of the Alhambra, you get a good look at…
Nagasaki temple row
Away from the port, backing up steep slopes, lies the Nagasaki temple row. Here is the oldest Obaku Zen temple in Japan, founded in 1635 for the Chinese resident community. Modern buildings share space with old structures, some original, many rebuilt in the 19th or 20th century. Because of their location and the position of…
Genbaku dome
The “A-bomb dome” : One of the few buildings left standing in the area where “little boy” exploded on August 6 1945 in central Hiroshima. The dome was designed by a Czech architect in 1915 and had been used as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Le dôme de Genbaku : Un des rares bâtiments…
470 km of canals
The Edo era town of Yanagawa in Fukuoka prefecture, Kyushu, is famous for its canals, its canal boats and the sagemon (hanging dolls) tour. Visit the town on the flat bottom boats called donkobune and keep your head down to get under the low bridges. If you are lucky the boatman will sing Japanese folksongs…
Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road East, Shanghai : Look out Fifth Avenue, Oxford Street, the Ginza, les Champs Elysées, this is serious competition. This must be the street with the highest concentration of luxury brands and products in the world. Rolex, Bugatti, Vuitton… You name it, it’s here. Lots of people looking, but not many (visible) buyers…. Nanjing…
Heart of Shanghai
The Bund, the Oriental Pearl Telecommunications tower, the big boats on the Huangpu. This is the heart of Shanghai. Le Bund, la tour de télécommunications et la rivière Huangpu … le coeur de Shanghai.
Living in Central
Feathered friends at home in Hong Kong Central. Les volatiles à domicile : Hong Kong Central.
Mount Inasa
A summit near the heart of the Nagasaki. Visible from everywhere in daytime, attractive views from the summit at night. A ropeway gets you to top. Un sommet de 350 m dominant le coeur de la ville de Nagasaki. Visible de partout de jour, point de vue attrayant de nuit. Monter par le “ropeway” (télépherique)…
The market
Fresh stuff in the market. How about some live silkworms for an appetizer ? Produits frais au marché. Des vers à soie comme apéro ?
Three guys on a fishing trip
There used to be fish in this bay. Autrefois, le poisson était au rendez-vous.
